Over-voltage protective device



Oct. 20, 1959 B. THoREN OVER-VOLTAGE PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed Feb. 26, 1957 JNVE/yToR. 25A 'r/L Tfokew 2,909,694 OVER-VOLTAGE PROTECTIVE DEVICE Bertil Thorn, Ludvika, Sweden, assignor to Allmnna Svenska `Elektriska Aktiebolaget, Vasteras, Sweden,va corporation of Sweden Applicata February 26, 1957, serial N6. 642,594 14 claims. (cl. 313-153) This invention relates to an over-voltage protective device which is Aespecially suitable for the protection of series capacitors in electrical power lines against overvoltages caused `by abnormal currents arising from faults on the power line, or for equivalent protective purposes. On the occasion of an earth fault or a short circuit on a power line' the current in the faulty phase or the faulty phases becomes abnormally large, and, if the power line is provided with series capacitors, the high currents in 4the series capacitors give rise to over-'voltages which might damage the capacitors if they are not limited AIto moderate values. In order y-to protect the capacitors against over-voltages of this sort, each capacitor battery was previously provided with a Ashunting spark gap which ignites at a certain allowed limit for the over-voltage and a by-pass switch, the operation of which is initiated by a current through the spark gap 'so that the spark gap is unloaded immediately after the ignition. The unloading of the spark gap has a double purpose, viz, partly to avoid burning of the spark gap and partly to allow for deionisation and cooling of the spark gap so that it has .normal dielectric strength when 1the current in theline decreases. to its normal value and the capacitor battery is again connected in.

It is evident that a substantial improvement ofthe protective device for a battery of series capacitors'can I Patented; Oct. 20, 1959 According .to the invention an A*over-voltage protective device having all the desired properties may lbe obtained by a shield of insulating materialbeing arranged near to the ignition point in such a way that the ignition point is .protected from the ionising effects from the arcrwhen this moves along the closed path. .The shield will norbe obtained in case the spark gap has the ability to stand the large currents, which mustbe led around the battery, for long intervals with a maintained stability of the ignition voltage and with an extinction `Voltage larger than the voltage across the battery of capacitors at normal current in ythe power line. The fact is that such `an ideal yspark gap usually'need not vbe short-circuited by any by-pass switch, and thebattery of capacitors is lthus immediately re-connected when' an over-voltage disappears, whichfis important to the stability in the transmission 'system'. 4In an attempt to make a spark gap havingv the desired qualities it is possible to start from a known spark-gap construction in which ythe arc, yby means of a magnetic field,` is forced to move so quickly'alofng the electrode surfaces that these cannot melt. By arranging the electrode surfaces and the magnetic lield in sucha way that ythe arc moves in a closed path, unlimited travel time Amay be obtained -at moderate dimensions of the electrodes, but the requirement for a stable and low ignition voltage isfound to be contrary to the requirement for high reignition voltage. In fact, if an ignition -point is introduced Ibetween the main electrodes, it is found lthat it must be'placed in a point of the largest Vpossible magnetic'eld strength to ascertain that the arc is forced away from the ignition point before thisis 'damagedpl As the arc follows the maximum of the magnetic iield, lthe arc will however pass through or close to the ignition point each time it 4has covered one turn in its closed path. The ignition point is for ythis reason kept ionised fand `at 'a high temperature so that the extinction voltage and the reignition voltage comes very low.

; trodes.

mally froce `the arc to deviate from its lnatural path in thevicinity of the ignition point. Theover-voltage'protective device 'becomes especially-advantageous from a constructive point of View when the main electrodes are made from plain circular` metal discs with central holes which are mounted on a tubular insulator togethervwi'th vdisc-shaped coils producing `a magnetic iield having an `vice according to the invention.

In Figure 1,' 10 and 11 designate twoconductorsvwhich are connected to a not shown apparatus or part of a power plant which is to be protected against over-voltage, e.g. a battery of series capacitors. The-conductors 10 and 1'1 are, via connecting means 12 and 13 respectively, connected to an over-voltage protective device comprising three series connected spark gaps which are builtfup from'circular electrodediscs 1421 being provided'with ignitionelectrodes 25-30. YThe electrodediscs are provided with central holes and'. are slidonan insulating'tube 52 together withdisc-shaped coils 44-47 having insulating outer rings 42 and insulating disc-shaped spacers48, 49. vThe resulting pile is.,compressed by means'of `an iron bolt 53, which tits in the tube 52, and a nut 56together with pressure rings 55 and insulating rings .54.

.Between veach pair of insulating spacers 48, 49, a metal ring 43 is squeezed in; The disc-shapedv .coils 44-.47 are, in Figure 1, shown as helixes `of copper band with an insulation layer ot .paper or the like, .but they may;4 of course be made in other ways. Each coil is arranged .between a pair of electrode discs from :which it is insulated by means of insulating `collars51. The internal and external ends of the coils are, however,; connectedv to each one of the electrodes which are 4provided withbent-down connecting lugs S14-'41. n

On the occasion of a voltage of sufficientr :magnitude being fed to the conductors 10 -and 11, a spark-over occurs between the pairs of ignition electrodes 25, 26;V 27,' .28 and 29, 30, so that a current will fflowirom the conductor 10 through the connecting means 12 to the-electrode disc 14'and from there .via the connectinglug 34 to the external part of the coil 44.I :The currentleaves the coil 44 at the connecting Vlug 35.ofthe yelectrode vdisc 15 with the ignition electrode 25vand passesxvia an:arc to the electrode disc 16 with the ignitin-electrode'zand from there it passes' via the connecting lug 36 .to ythe internal end of the coil 45. lIn the same. way -thecurrent passes furtherV between Ythe electrodediscs alternately through coils 45,'46 and 47 and throughy arcs between the electrodediscs, 17, 18, and19, 20 and leaves -at the end the over-voltage vprotective device via the electrode 21, the connecting means 13 and the conductor 11.

In the space between the electrode discs, 15, 16; 17., 18, and 19, 20, magnetic ields arise which are substantially axial-symmetric and have large radial components', when the coils 44-47 pass current. -Due to the fact that the coils 44 47 are alternately arrangedfto passfth'e current from thefoutside to thecentre andVv from" the centre to the outside, asrwill be evident' fromthe arrangement'f the connecting lugs 34-41, the radial eld components `from two adjacent coils are added in the space between the pair of electrode discs between the coils, while the axial components from the coils neutralize each other. The coils 44-47 are arranged in such a way that a current .coming in at .the conductor gives rise to a radial, centrally directed field between the pair of electrodes 15, i6, a yradial iield directed outwards between the electrode pair 17, 18 and a radial iield directed inwards between Vthe pair-of electrodes 19, 20.

An arc arising between, for instance, the ignition elecztrodes 25, 26, will, in known manner, be influenced by an electromagnetic force which is proportional to the current through the arc as well as to the magnetic iield component at right angles to the arc and acts at right angles to the arc as Well as to the magnetic field. As the arc is axially directed and the magnetic iield is radially directed, this .force will act on the arc in a tangential direction so that the arc is forced to move in the direction out from the surface of the paper in Figure 1. In the same way, an arc between the electrode discs 17, 18 will move in the vdirection into the surface of the paper, and an arc between the `electrode discs 19, 20 will move in a direction out of the surface of the paper as viewed, immediately after the arc has risen between the ignition electrodes 2.7, 23 and 29, 30 respectively. Because the ignition electrodes 25-30 are shaped with a gradual transition from the ignition point where the spark-over distance is less, `to the electrode discs where the spark-over distance is larger, the arcs can easily leave their ignition points, and because the electromagnetic force always influences the arcs in a tangential direction, the arcs will tend to move along the electrode surfaces following closed circular paths.

In order to avoid burning of the ignition electrodes the arcs must be made to move quickly out from the ignition point. The movement is facilitated by the mentioned shaping of the .ignition electrodes, but the movement is always safer and quicker the stronger the radial component of the magnetic field at the ignition point. A powerful radial field component is ascertained through the shown construction and arrangement of the coils and because the iron bolt 53 serves as an eticient return path for the iiux. `In order that the iield shall build up quickly after the ignition of the arc, the electrode discs -20 are .further provided with radial slots 57 (Fig. 2) which prevent the arising of circulating, field destroying eddy currents. The strength of the radial field component varies, as is known, with the distance from the axis of the electrode system, partly because the iiux crosses a larger cylinder surface when the distance increases, and partly because the radial magnetizing ampere turns -de- .crease when .the internal part of the coil is approached. Therefore a normally very broad maximum of radial field exists substantially where the ignition electrodes are arranged according to Fig. 1.

in the shown arrangement every precaution is made to protect the arc from fastening on the ignition point and the `burning of the ignition electrodes is negligible even .after a large number of ignitions. The arc will however, as mentioned, after the ignition tend to move along .a circular path which is very stable when the arc is moving along the maximum radial iield. In the case that the space between the electrode discs is empty, the arc will thus return to the ignition point at certain intervals so that the ignition point can never be deionised and cooled. According to the invention a shield of insulating material is, however, introduced between the electrode surfaces in such a way that the arc cannot intluence the dielectric strength of the ignition point. This shield is in the shown form of the invention, made up of the insulating spacers V4g, 49, the cross section of which is evident from Fig. 2,

which shows the section through the axis of the electrode system designated A-A in Figure 1.

In Figure 2 the electrode disc 16 is seen with the said radial slot 57, which is suitably filled with an insulating material, the ignition electrode 26 and the insulating spacer 49. Further, the iron bolt 53 and the insulating tube 52 is seen in cross section, as well as a side view of the insulating ring 42 surrounding the coil 45 and pre venting the spark-over of the arcs from one spark gap to another. Such a spark-over, which would decrease the extinction voltage, is further counteracted by the arcs in two adjacent spark gaps moving in different directions, as previously described. As will be evident from Figure 2, the insulating spacer 49 is shaped in such a way that it limits the movement towards the axis of the arc. In the neighbourhood of the ignition electrode 26 the insulating spacer 49 forms a helical channel outwards the path of the arc in the moving direction of the arc, which in Figure 2 is clockwise. The arc is thus forced to rotate in a path with a larger radius than that which corresponds to the distance from the ignition point to the axis. When the arc passes the ignition point, this is protected by the tongue 50 of the insulating spacer 49 against the ionizing radiation and the gas from the arc, and the ignition point is deionised and cooled quickly .so that the reignition voltage becomes high.

When the arc is forced outwards by means of the insulating spacer 49, it encounters a metal ring 43 and is thus divided up into two shorter arcs. This results in an increased cooling of the arc and with this a high extinction voltage. A high extinction voltage can also, zin known manner, be obtained when the metal ring 43 is substituted by an insulating ring which forces the arc to expand. Such an insulating ring should however be made open at the exit of the helical channel in the insulating spacers so that the movement of the arc along the electrode surfaces `is not obstructed.

In order to prevent asymmetries which may result in premature ignition of the arcs, the overvoltage proctective device should be provided with an arrangement dividing the voltage equally between the spark gaps. This can for instance be obtained by means of high-ohmic resistors, which are arranged between the electrodes. In Fig. 2 two such resistance bodies 58, 59 are shown in section, being placed in holes in the insulating spacers 48 and 49. The precision of the ignition may further be improved when one or more of the ignition gaps are connected to a triggering arrangement of known construction.

'Ihe shown construction is suitable for the protection of direct current apparatus as well as alternating current apparatus, due to the fact that the direction of movement of the arc is independent of the polarity of the current. By a changed direction of current ow even the magnetic field changes its .direction so that the electromagnetic force on the arc lremains unchanged. When alternating current is iiowing through the coils 44-47, one or more of these may, however, be short-circuited because a current is induced in the short-circuited coil by the iield from adjacent coils, and this current gives rise to a magnetic field of wanted form and direction. Of course such a short circuited coil can entirely or partly be made from a ring of copper or any other highly conductive material.

I claim as my invention:

1. An overload protective device comprising two electrodes having surfaces facing each other over a substantial area, an ignition point carried by the surfaces of said electrode within said area for the ignition of an arc, means associated with said electrodes for supplying a magnetic field having a component perpendicular to the direction of said arc for moving the ignited arc along the electrode surfaces away from said ignition point and into and along a closed path within such area, and insulating means arranged between such surfaces and between said ignition point and Ithe greater part of the closed path including the portion of the closed path nearest to the ignition point for shielding the ignition point from the arc moving along said closed path.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said electrodes are in the form of substantially plane, circular discs, and said magnetic lield supplying means comprise an electric coil series connected with the discs, said coil supplying a eld having la radial component in the space between the discs.

3. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 2, in which said coil is disc-shaped and is arranged co-axially with and adjacent to said electrodes, said electrode discs each having -a radial slot for lowering the eddy current losses in the electrode.

4. An rover-voltage protective device .according yto claim 2, in which said electrodes have central holes and are assembled together with said coil on a tubular insulator containing magnetic material.

5. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 2, 4in which said ignition point is arranged in the path of the arc, and said insulating means has a helical shape to limit radial movement of the arc towards the centre of said electrode `discs and to Vforce the arc to move away from the ignition point and to move outwardly towards said closed path.

6. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 2, said insulating means comprising a shield of insulating material between said electrodes and parallel to the surfaces thereof to force the arc to expand.

7. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 2, comprising shields of metal inserted between said electrodes and parallel to the surfaces thereof for dividing the arc into short partial arcs.

8. An over-voltage protect-ive device according to claim 2, in which ignition point is exposed to the radial component of said magnetic eld fat a place where said component lis at a maximum.

9. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 2, in which two disc-shaped electric coils are arranged co-axally with said electrodes and are spaced from each other by a pair of said electrodes, said pair of electrodes forming an arc-gap, and said coils producing magnetic elds `the radial components of which co-act in said arc gap.

10. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 9, in which one of said coils has only one turn and if formed by a disc of highly conductive material.

11. An over-voltage portective device according to claim 1, in which said ignition point is a spark gap having a smaller spark-over distance than the remainder of the electrodes.

12. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 11, in which the spark-over distance of said spark gap increases gradually from the ignition point in the direction of the movement of the arc.

13. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 1, comprising a numebr of series connected electrode pairs, said magnetic field supplying means comprising a number of electric coils for producing magnetic elds having radial components in the spaces between said pairs series connected with said electrode pairs.

14. An over-voltage protective device according to claim 13 in which at least one of said ser-ies connected electrode pairs has an electrode connected to an arrangement for potential division.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 470,721 Thomson Mar. 15, 1892 2,621,303 Law Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,064,302 France y.. l l Ma)r 12, 1954 

